Framed
by GeronimoPond
Summary: A murderer is on the loose and Bella Swan is on the case. When she discovers a body, Edward Masen is on the top of her suspect list. But as the case goes on, she discovers that he has been framed. Graphic content, strong language. Some smut. ALL HUMAN
1. Prologue

**A/N: Again, my mind has been on overdrive and it probably didn't help that I began re-reading another series I'm in love with: In Death, by J.D. Robb. This is pretty graphic and uses strong language, so if you're against gore and swearing, I'd find a different story to read. Preferably one of mine...**

**Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.**

**Prologue**

Just because she saw death everyday, didn't mean that she was used to it. Lieutenant Bella Swan came up to the scene with ground-eating strides. The smell of blood and death hit her first like a ton of bricks. Rust, iron, and decay. Her stomach clenched, making her gag slightly. Holding a hand in front of her mouth, she hunched over and went under the plastic police barrier. A beat cop scuttled towards her, his shiny black boots looking distinctively different than her scuffed up, marred ones.

"You primary?" He asked, his voice slightly high for a man of his age. Bella reached into her coat pocket, pulled out her badge.

"You going to tell me what happened or am I going to have to find out for myself?" Bella glared at the cop until he began to stutter.

"Uh…uh…appears to be a female, mid-twenties to early thirties. No visual signs of struggle or sexual abuse." He rambled as Bella began walking towards the body. Bella crouched, scrunching up her face as she took in the scene. She tuned out the beat cop and began making her own observations. _She was probably breath-taking when she was alive,_ Bella pondered, putting rubber gloves on. _Not that anyone could tell now, with half her face missing._ With almost laser precision, half of the woman's face had been removed, leaving behind the muscles and cartilage. Her throat had been slashed with a different weapon, Bella noted, seeing the ragged and uneven edges.

"Jesus Christ, Swan. Why do you always get the shitty ones?" Captain Emmett McCarty bellowed from behind the police tape. She waved him in, not looking up from the victim. She called him after getting the word from Dispatch. She needed his talent at the moment.

"Flies to honey, Em, flies to honey. You got anything on her?" She spared at glance at one of her only friends in the entire division. He was a large man, not fluffy, but muscular. His curly black hair was shoved under a baseball cap of his current favorite team. His bright blue eyes scanned the surroundings, taking in everything and everyone. A grin that was always plastered to his face was replaced by a scowl.

"Yea. Tanya Masen, married to Edward Masen. Age twenty-eight. Worked as an up-and-coming fashion designer. Reported leaving Forks Bar and Grill at eighteen hundred hours, alone. The hubby works at Sacred Memorial Hospital, as a neurologist."

"Anyone contact him?"

"Not that I know of. I can get someone on it, if you want."

"I'll do it. You got the number?" Emmett rattled it off and Bella punched it in her cell phone. A receptionist answered and Bella asked to be transferred to Edward Masen's office.

"Dr. Masen speaking," A velvety voice answered.

"This is Lieutenant Bella Swan, from the Seattle Police Department. I'm afraid I have some bad news."

"Bad news, Lieutenant?"

"Dr. Masen, your wife has been murdered. I'm terribly sorry for your loss." She waited a beat, listening for the loud intake of breath or the beginnings of weeping. She heard nothing.

"Tanya's dead?" He repeated, as if he hadn't heard her before.

"I'm afraid so. I'd like to speak to you about your whereabouts soon. Would it trouble you to come down to the station?"

"I can't right now, I have a surgery to prep for…" He trailed off. Bella nodded, glancing at Emmett. He was talking to the beat cop that she spoke to before, probably taking his statement.

"I'll leave you my personal number. Give me a call when you're able to come down."

"Thank you."

"And again, terribly sorry for your loss."

"Yea." The line went dead and Bella stared confused at her phone. Grabbing one of the Homicide workers by the back of the shirt, she yanked him to her side.

"Bag it and tag it, boys. We got a murder to solve."

**Re-re-re-review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry everyone about not updating lately. I've been super uber-busy with homework and I don't have any time. But I've got chapters working, hopefully I'll get something posted by the end of the week.

Don't hate me! Haha.


	3. Chapter 3

**Aa/N: Holy cow! Sorry about the long wait everyone! I got caught up in my other stories and some really random things and totally forgot about this one! I promise that I'll continue to update this story because I have an amazing idea for a few chapters from now. Muahahaha.**

"Bella, let me at least get you a cup of coffee." Emmett trudged behind her ground-eating strides. Bella shoved her freezing hands deep into her leather jacket pockets and mumbled to herself, continuing down the sidewalk.

" 'Cuse me? What was that, Lieutenant? You would like to go get coffee with me before you lock yourself in that sorry excuse of an office for the rest of eternity?" Emmett grabbed her arm and spun her around. Her eyes flared with anger and Emmett smiled, his dimples showing.

"There's my girl. Swan, give yourself a human moment. We all need one. We'll forget about the case for ten, twenty or hell, let's make it thirty minutes. Do it for me?" He stuck out his lower lip in a pout and blocked Bella's way. Although the prospect of being a normal person having coffee with a friend sounded appealing, the way Edward Masen had spoken on the phone still unnerved her.

"Maybe it was just shock…give it some time…I'll call him when I get to the office…" Bella grumbled under her breath and side-stepped Emmett. His head rolled back and he rubbed his tired face with his hands.

"Jesus, Bella. I'll get the coffees to go then." He spoke to himself now, Bella was already turning the corner and disappearing from view.

* * *

Edward spun around in his chair, nudging the trash can with his foot. He didn't know why he had lied to the woman on the phone. He summed it up to disbelief. Sure, that's what he would call it. Pure and utter disbelief that his wife of nearly ten years was dead. Out of his damn life. His eyes burned fiercely, making him blink rapidly. _Tears? Why tears? Tanya was nothing but an empty shell to me the past few years of our marriage._ Edward shook his head and rubbed the heel of his palm hard against his eyes. There was a knock on his office door and he grunted loudly. It cracked open and his associate, Rosalie King, stuck her head in.

"Edward? Your residents are waiting for you. You have rounds in ten minutes," She slid in and shut the door behind her.

"Is something wrong?" She sat down in one of the leather chairs in front of his enormous mahogany desk. He proceeded to fill her in and stopped when she gasped loudly.

"Tanya's been murdered? God, that's horrible."

"But you knew that I've been living by myself for the past three years, right?"

"Yea. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Nothing, nothing. I should go start on my rounds," Edward said and left his office, leaving a slightly stunned and confused Rosalie alone with her thoughts.

* * *

Bella squeezed her way into her cramped office, holding the coffee Emmett had bought for her high over her head. She stumbled over a stack of papers and her drink went flying, spilling over her and the cases open around her.

"Shit! God damn!" She wiped the coffee dripping into her eyes and searched for the roll of paper towels she remembered buying. _For at home. Shit._ Bella stalked over to the door and wrenched it open.

"The next rookie that brings me a towel and a cup of coffee, not that shit you brew in the break room, will work with me on the next case I get!" She bellowed and watched with appreciation as nearly twenty people rushed out of the bull pen and out the door. She was momentarily blinded as someone began wiping her face with a napkin.

"What the…knock it off!" She growled and smacked the hand away. She glared menacingly at the person in front of her, but noticed that no one was standing there. Shrugging it off, she turned to go back into her office.

"Ahem. Down here." Bella looked down and was startled to see a tiny pixie woman holding a dirty napkin.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Language, please. And I'm Officer Alice Brandon. The Chief sent me. I'm your new assistant." Bella was taken aback. No one, and she _meant_ no one, ever talked to her like that.

"Assistant? By the way, I'll talk however the hell I want and it's none of your damn business!" Alice crossed her arms over her chest and cocked out a hip, her tiny foot tapped furiously against the dirty, dingy linoleum tiles. Bella cleared her throat nervously and backed into her office door. Alice continued to stare at her accusingly.

"Sorry." Bella mumbled and shoved her hands into her pockets. A rookie came running up to her, clearly out of breath. He handed her a steaming cup of coffee, an eager smile on his flushed face.

"Lieutenant?" He wheezed. Bella sipped the brew and grimaced.

"Nice try, but this is the shit from the break room in a fancy-ass cup. Forget about working with me. Brandon, in my office. Now." She thrust the cup at the rookie and stormed into her office. She had some calls to make.

Police Chief Carlisle Cullen paged through some reports on his desk when his phone rang loudly.

"Carlisle here."

"Cullen, what the hell?"

"Ah, Bella. I wait in anticipation for your call everyday. What can I do you for now?" A smile played across his handsome features. He began to doodle in the bargains of the report.

"Who the hell- sorry, heck- is this Brandon chick and why the hell-heck, damn it, Brandon! God, darn it- is she my new assistant?" Carlisle bit back laughter and spun around on his chair.

"Ahh, I see that she arrived safely to the infamous Swan Den. I thought you could use a little help."

"I don't need any help."

"Oh yes you do. Fashion help, at least," Carlisle heard Alice's tinkling voice in the background and let out a bark of laughter. Growls filled his ear.

"I swear to God…you trying to piss me off? What have I done to you to deserve this, Carlisle? I thought we were friends," Bella whined. Carlisle clucked his tongue and chuckled.

"We are friends, Bella. No, you haven't pissed me off. You are the hardest working officer I have in the entire force. You deserve a break now and then. Let Brandon handle the smaller cases, the hit and runs, the basics. So, mind filling me in on this Masen case?"

* * *

Edward didn't really remember rounds or any of the surgeries he performed that day. He left the hospital early and drove home, consumed fully in his thoughts. He unlocked his front door and dropped his bag in the front hallway. He shuffled into the kitchen and saw the blinking red light on his answering machine. He pressed play and went over to the fridge, searching through the shelves for sustenance.

"_**Hey Edward, it's Rose. Was wondering if you wanted to talk, maybe over dinner? It's okay if you don't want to, I understand. Call me. Please?**_" He made a mental note to call her back. Dinner didn't sound at all appetizing to him. The beer he found did, though. He twisted off the cap and sent it sailing towards the garbage can.

"_**Masen, it's James. Call me, bro.**_" Edward's college roommate called every week, with plans to get together and "reminisce". He was just too damn busy with work to even think about spending time with his friends. He took a long drink of beer and closed his eyes, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"_**Edward. Pick up the phone! You were supposed to meet me here two hours ago! I know you aren't working tonight, so there shouldn't be any excuses. Damn it, Edward! I know you're there! We were supposed to go over the divorce papers, so the lawyers could have them by Monday. I'll be over in twenty minutes and you better be waiting.**_" Tanya's voice floated through the silent kitchen. The answering machine said that she had called last night, maybe minutes before she died. His beer bottle smashed against the opposite wall, shattering into a million pieces. He kicked the cabinet in front of him, his foot going straight through the wood. He ripped a cabinet door off its hinges and slammed it against the counter, all the while yelling and swearing. When he was spent, Edward slumped to the ground, eyelids drooping. He curled up in a ball in a corner and fell asleep.

* * *

Bella managed to clear off a spot at the end of her desk for Alice to work. She learned that tuning Alice out was not the smartest thing to do. _But she talks way too damn much!_

"When your shift is over, I'm taking you shopping. No one can take you seriously when you're wearing something like that." Bella growled and looked down at herself. She had found a clean shirt in her locker downstairs and had managed to wash her hair in the sink, to rid it of the coffee smell. Albeit the shirt was extremely old, a relic from her college days. She threw her trusty leather jacket over it and was set. Apparently this was not so in Alice Brandon's eyes.

"What's wrong with it? I'm doing paperwork all today, nobody is going to be seeing me."

"It doesn't matter if anyone will be seeing you or not. You need to set an example for yourself. You are the leading _female_ homicide detective in all of the greater Seattle area. Hell, they talk about you in New York for Pete's sake! You're a legend, Bella, and you need to dress appropriately." Bella groaned and rubbed her hands over her face.

"I see I can't persuade you otherwise. After shift is fine with me." Alice made a satisfied noise and settled into filling out paperwork, alongside her commanding officer.

* * *

**Please review! I want to know what you're thinking!**


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